Pushing the technical envelope with Aquarium

09-22-2002, 07:50 PM

Aquarium looks great on my mac running jaguar--I use it as my desktop to the amazement of all who see it. But might it not be even better?

(Hope I'm not reinventing the wheel here with this suggestion)

Why not have two layers (like DeskEffects), a background one resembling the current version, to be used as the desktop and a foreground one in which occasionally various fish swim languidly over the documents on which one is working? In short why not provide the illusion that the open documents themselves are *inside* the aquarium? That would be an awesome effect.

DeskEffects already does something of this, but they make the foreground translucent. Opaque fish would be better in this case, I think.

Thanks again for the great work on this application!

feldon34 · 09-22-2002, 08:18 PM

Jim strongly feels that this is like taking a can of spray paint, going into a museum and defacing the artwork.

I personally don't mind the Aquarium running as the desktop with a few icons (My Computer, Network Neighborhood) off to the side, but to do as you describe would, in Jim's and my opinion, take a lot away from the Aquarium. For a period of a month or two, there was a hack for the Windows version to make the Aquarium run as part of the desktop. People started making elaborate frames and ways of running the icons floating on top of the Aquarium. Jim stepped in and expressed his disapproval.

To be honest, the Aquarium not meant as a background application. It's something to be looked at. Sorry if that sounds like ego but there are ~30 aquarium screen savers out there. This is the only one that makes people stop and look twice.

09-22-2002, 08:54 PM

Thanks for the prompt reply. As I had feared, being a mac user of Aquarium, I've arrived late in the game and seem to have unintentionally touched on a sore point--my sincere regrets for having seemed to impugn the artistry of this software.

I hasten to add that as my desktop, I do stare appreciatively at the Aquarium for long minutes many times a day. But while working, I do find the sound of soothing bubbles and the glimpse of playful fish flitting about on the margins to be a welcome reminder of dives I've taken in far-off venues.

In the end, I suspect that each user of your extraordinary product will find a special meaning for it. As for me, I only wish I could find a way to work underwater all day in crystal clear tropical waters! Aquarium brings me closer to the illusion that I can do so; hence my suggestion.

09-23-2002, 10:18 PM

How can you make an animated desktop in OSX?

09-24-2002, 09:21 PM

The easiest way I know to turn a screen effect into the desktop is to use a utility such as Backlight or DeskEffects, downloaded via VersionTracker. Using OS X version 10.2.1 and with a fast video card (so that quartz extreme will work well), the results are startlingly beautiful, esp. with Aquarium. In fact I've got it running now.

Hope this helps.

09-22-2002, 07:50 PM	#1
Unregistered Guest Posts: n/a	Pushing the technical envelope with Aquarium Aquarium looks great on my mac running jaguar--I use it as my desktop to the amazement of all who see it. But might it not be even better? (Hope I'm not reinventing the wheel here with this suggestion) Why not have two layers (like DeskEffects), a background one resembling the current version, to be used as the desktop and a foreground one in which occasionally various fish swim languidly over the documents on which one is working? In short why not provide the illusion that the open documents themselves are inside the aquarium? That would be an awesome effect. DeskEffects already does something of this, but they make the foreground translucent. Opaque fish would be better in this case, I think. Thanks again for the great work on this application!

09-22-2002, 08:18 PM	#2
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,938	Jim strongly feels that this is like taking a can of spray paint, going into a museum and defacing the artwork. I personally don't mind the Aquarium running as the desktop with a few icons (My Computer, Network Neighborhood) off to the side, but to do as you describe would, in Jim's and my opinion, take a lot away from the Aquarium. For a period of a month or two, there was a hack for the Windows version to make the Aquarium run as part of the desktop. People started making elaborate frames and ways of running the icons floating on top of the Aquarium. Jim stepped in and expressed his disapproval. To be honest, the Aquarium not meant as a background application. It's something to be looked at. Sorry if that sounds like ego but there are ~30 aquarium screen savers out there. This is the only one that makes people stop and look twice. "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman Last edited by feldon34; 09-22-2002 at 08:30 PM.

09-23-2002, 10:18 PM	#4
Unregistered Guest Posts: n/a	how is that possible? How can you make an animated desktop in OSX?

09-22-2002, 08:54 PM	#3
Unregistered Guest Posts: n/a	Thanks for the prompt reply. As I had feared, being a mac user of Aquarium, I've arrived late in the game and seem to have unintentionally touched on a sore point--my sincere regrets for having seemed to impugn the artistry of this software. I hasten to add that as my desktop, I do stare appreciatively at the Aquarium for long minutes many times a day. But while working, I do find the sound of soothing bubbles and the glimpse of playful fish flitting about on the margins to be a welcome reminder of dives I've taken in far-off venues. In the end, I suspect that each user of your extraordinary product will find a special meaning for it. As for me, I only wish I could find a way to work underwater all day in crystal clear tropical waters! Aquarium brings me closer to the illusion that I can do so; hence my suggestion.

09-24-2002, 09:21 PM	#5
Unregistered Guest Posts: n/a	The easiest way I know to turn a screen effect into the desktop is to use a utility such as Backlight or DeskEffects, downloaded via VersionTracker. Using OS X version 10.2.1 and with a fast video card (so that quartz extreme will work well), the results are startlingly beautiful, esp. with Aquarium. In fact I've got it running now. Hope this helps.